Improvement in machines for flanging boiler-heads



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UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE.

SETH LOWEN, OF TEMPERANCEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.' 117,091, dated July 18, 1871.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH LowEN, of Temperanceville, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machine for Flan ging Sheet Metal for Boiler-Heads, Sto.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved Hanging-machine, showing the devices for operating the mandrels for bending up the flange. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the mandrels thrown back to permit the insertion of the sheet of metal to be ilanged, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same through y y, Fig. 2, showing in dotted lines the position of the bendingmandrels when the operation of bending up the ilange is completed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My invention relates to that class of machines construction and mode of operation.

The frame co, which is made of iron or other suitable material, has an upright or bearing, b, at each end for supporting the journals c c, the inner ends of which sustain the revolving arch y or bow d. The arch d is of irregular shape, and

carries a frame which is composed of the plates c1 c2 and the cylindrical boxes@ e, shown in the gure. Running down through each cylinder e c is a stem, f, the upper ends of which project above the cylinders and the lower ends project below, each one carrying' a circular mandrel or The part d is made arched so that the mandrels g g shall project just to the axial line w w of the revolving arch d, such line running through the journals c c upon which the arch turns, and between the lower adjacent edges of the mandrels g g. Rigidly attached to an upward projection, d', on one end of the arch d, so that it will revolve along with it, is a segmental gear-wheel, h, having teeth. h at its circumference. To the bearing b is fastened an arm, b', which extends obliquely backward and upward, parallel with the segmental wheel h, a little beyond its outer edge or circumference h. In the outer end of the arm b is a hole or eye, through which is a small shaft, 1', carrying on its inner end a small gear-wheel, il, the teeth of which gear into the teeth of the segmental Wheel h. To the outer end of the shaft i is attached a crank, 2, which, when turned, operates the segmental wheel. As the segmental wheel h is rigidly attached to the arch d they both turn on the journals c the length of the circumference of the segmental wheel, which is equal to the quadrant or one-fourth of a circle, the center of which is the axial line w m. On the upper ends of the shafts fj', and rigidly attached thereto, are the gear-wheels l and 5. One of the shafts f extends above its connection with the wheel l, and there carries the large gearwheel k, which gears into a small wheel, l, on a perpendicular shaft, Z1, at the side of the frame, such shaft being supported by the lug or bearing l2 extending out from the side of the plate 0', and operated by the crank Z3. The gear-wheels 2, 3, and 4 are merely multiplying-wheels for connecting the wheel 5 which operates the mandrel y with the wheel 1 which operates the other mandrel g. The wheels l and 5 are ofthe same size, and operated with the same degree of velocity. The mandrels g g are operated by power applied to the shaft either by the crank Z3, or by a belt passing around the wheel u, or through the gearwheels 1 and 5 and shafts ffl rlhe mandrels g g are adjustable in the boxes c e by means of the screws my m, so that they may be set to the thickness of the sheet of metal to be ilanged. Rigidly attached to the frame a directly in front of the mandrels g g', and standing ush with the axial line .t a', is the guide-plate u for supporting and holding the sheet of metal up against the mandrels g g when they are operating upon it. In front of this plate is a semicircular table, o, for carrying the sheet of metal, adjustable on the ways o1 by means of the clamp o2. On the upper face of this table are three threaded rods p, convefing to the center of the table, which is the point nearest to or directly in front `of the plate a, where their inner ends are sunk in loosely, so as to allow them to revolve therein, into holes or notches in the block 03. The outer ends of the rods are held in place by and operate in the journal-boxes p2 p2 on the outer edge of the table o. On each rod p is a tapped-and-threaded nut, q, supported on the radiuses or ways p1, which run along just under the rod. By turning the rods p by means of a wrench applied at the outer ends, which are suitably shaped for that purpose, the nuts q are operated forward and backward along the stems p at pleasure. These nuts act as holders to hold the sheet of metal in place and keep it from slipping when being ilanged, the nuts being turned up to follow the sheet as its diameter diminishes by the bending up of the Jflange.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The arch d being thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 2, plate l, a circular sheet ot' brass, iron, or other metal is placed upon the guide n and table 0 with the edge inserted in between the two mandrels g gf, and the nuts q screwed up until they come against the sheet for the purpose of holding it up-to the mandrels, the rotary motion of the latter having a tendency to throw it out sidewise, and by the radial motion a tendency to push it forward away from them. rlhe crank l1 is then operated rapidly, giving a quick revolving motion to the mandi-els g y', and causing the sheet of metal to be spun around between them. The crank 2 is then operated slowly, which causes the arch d to rise gradually, describing the arc of a circle around the axial line .t :t as a center, and the mandi-els g y to occupy a position in a plane which cuts the plane of their former position at right angles. By this second motion,

which is simultaneous with the rst, the edge of the sheet which is being spun around between the revolving dies or mandrels g g is gradually bent up until at the end of the radial upward movement of the arch d a ilan ge is formed around the edge of the circular sheet of metal. The lange may stand at any desired angle, it only being necessary to arrest the operation of the machine at the proper point. Power for operating the shafts l1 and z' may be applied by gearwheels or by belts passing around them.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. The rotating and bending-mandrels q g in combination with the guide-plate n and adjustable table 0, having threaded rods p and nuts q, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The shafts fj', gear-wheels k l l 2 3 4 5, shaft 1,1, and crank Z3, in connection with the mandi-els g g for imparting a rotating motion to them, substantially as described.

3. The swinging arch d carrying the rotating and bending-mainlrels g g', substantially as described.

4. The segmental gear-wheel h rigidly attached to the swinging arch d, gear-wheel 171, and crank ft2, in combination with the swinging arch d for operating the same so as to make it describe thc arc of a circle of which the line .r :vis the center, substantially as and i'or the purposes described.

5. rThe devices described and shown, or their equivalents, for imparting simultaneously a rotary and a radial motion to the mandrels g y', for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I, the said SETI-i LownN, have hereunto set my hand.

SETH LOVVEN.

Witnesses:

W. N. HOWARD, Trios. B. KEER. 

